The Hereafter
by La-Abeja
Summary: Jet was aware that he was dead, now lacking destination he will continue forward. Even if it proves to cost him his very face. -Ship?Perhaps-


The Hereafter  
Written by La-Abeja

I couldn't think of a title. So I synonym'd 'afterlife'. So here we are.  
My second Avatar fanfiction, I must have penchant for obscure ships so it appears.

Enjoy

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What he was aware of was that he was dead, and had been so for quite some time. This was purely assumption, however, as he found it impossible to clearly recall how _long_ it had been since his demise occurred. After speculation he arrived at his previously mentioned assumption, though, perhaps it had only been a day before, or two, a year?

Time seemed to have slowed to a pause, although, he remembered quite _clearly_ that he had died. He remembered quite vividly the whirl of activity as heavy stone blasted against his torso. At first it had occurred to him that he should rise up, and continue the fight.

However, his body instead fought against this idea, and his heart began to beat faster in an attempt to distribute needed blood to damaged areas. Instead causing far more damage than before- after some time he realized what Katara must have recognized as her water bending ran over his body. Most of his organs were undergoing internal bleeding.

The only way survival_would_ have been possible, would be if he had had immediate access to a swarm of healers. Of course, there had been so no such thing in the hidden fortress of Lake Laogai, and instead he had had to lie there upon the cold stone.

It hadn't taken long, as Katara and the others left his peripheral vision, he felt tremors being to well up throughout his body, until crimson blood was spat up through his mouth. Further attempts at breathing caused bloodied spittle welled up at the sides of his mouth.

He recalled Smellerbee attempting to smile in response; she failed miserably, but Jet wasn't about to comment as she used her cuff to wipe away the excess.

Jet recalled dying, and he recalled the anguish that had come with it. Surely he had put up a façade, a smile which seemed to say he was _at_ peace. It was all lies, undoubtedly the little earth bender had known- she'd known he'd been telling the truth, _thought_ he'd been telling the truth, earlier.

Jet had never thought too much about death while he was living. If he did, he was suddenly faced with the death of his comrades, his family, and the victims of his raids. Although when he chanced to he predicted himself falling_valiantly_. Preferably pulling some sort of switch- perhaps blasting jelly? Though he would fall his pursuers, _Fire Nation_ of course, would be vanquished in the process.

Yet what he recalled was that he had died dismally. A fate secured by the crashing of rocks, he had not even fallen to the hands of the Fire Nation, but instead to a 'Grand Secretariat' of the _Earth_ Kingdom.

When Jet paused to think of death, he imagined heroics; instead he found himself facing what appeared to be… nothing. No great affect on the war- no decisive battle, there were no Fire Nation soldiers shivering at the mere mention of his name.

While living, dying actually, these thoughts had bereaved him. With Smellerbee engaging in the occasional rare comfort, she seemed adamant that he wouldn't die with blood spittle covering his chin, and Longshot's prolonged silence, it had seemed _unreal_ that he was going to finally encounter death.

Until the final cough wracked through his throat while his heart frantically hitched and blood oozed through the corner of his mouth. He vaguely remembered a cry from Smellerbee, and the movement of feet (Longshot?), before he encountered nothing at all.

By then he had come to encounter his current state, death. The anger at such a dismal death had reverted to a heavy pang throughout his abdomen, what more did it matter? He was dead.

With this heavy pang Jet continued further, where precisely to he was unaware; all that could be assumed was that it was within the Spirit World, which he had admittedly never spent many occasions pondering the greater mysteries of.

His mother used to tell him accounts of the spirit's actions, but she had not been there later to further press his imagination.

The scenery was beginning to change, upon arriving… upon _dying_ he had seemed positioned within a large expanse. In fact, it reminded him of the valley he had once called home and he felt instantly compelled to move forward.

A split thought later he denied such an impulse and turned on his heel, instead stalking in the opposite direction, but not before swooping down to pluck a stray piece of wheat from the ground.

Lacking knowledge of how long he had been dead, and in effect, how long he had been traversing the Spirit Realm, stepping over gnarled roots and feeling the somehow unearthly sensation as he stepped into large and numerous puddles, he continued further. Occasionally ignoring the gaze of what he assumed to be the spirits which inhabited said realm.

"Tch tch tch." A chuckling chatter sounded from above Jet, before a figure twisted along a tree flanking him. "You know you're going the wrong- _tch tch_- direction, don't you, boy?" The figure hung upside-down possessing an unnerving wide smile which stretched from its cheeks; although, if the figure were to be right-side up, it would truly appear to be a frown.

"No." Jet replied without sparing a glance, and stepped upon a twisting root which seemed combined of many.

Twisting further along the tree the figure exclaimed its unusual chortle before coming to rest spiraled along a branch hanging before Jet. "Oh really, _boy_?" Eerily its head twisted before coming right-side up. Its smile too turned and its wide grin was present in this state as well.

"You'll want to turn around- reincarnation is _that_ way, _tch tch_."

Before Jet could offer a snarl the roots beneath him twisted away and the loss of grounding caused him to fall into one of the many surrounding pools of water.

"This isn't a place for _humans_- even _dead_ ones." It chuckled once more as Jet sprung up from the puddle, too infuriated to notice the water heavily seeping out of his clothing, before they were left completely dry.

"_YOU_" Jet roared, bleak façade shattering as he drew out his twin hook swords- which at that moment he realized still hung from him. "Get_OUT_ of my **WAY**."

Still chortling the creature's head tilted to the side, "_Tch tch_, those will have little effect _here_, boy. Turn around- I wouldn't want my _friend_ to loose his… face." Immediately the body twisted up and around the towering and knotted threes, out of Jet's vision.

Cursing in response, Jet slammed his eyes shut and breathed as he felt the cold calm of being deceased seep back into the heavy sensation in the pit of his stomach. He assumed that he _must_ have been dead for some time- it seemed as though ages since he had experienced the human passion of anger and fury.

That, or, such sensations drifted quickly when one was dead.

"Go _away_."

Head pivoting upon his neck Jet turned to glower towards- a primate. In any case, like the majority of the Spirit Realm residents, such as the one before, it was entirely capable of speech, and like its predecessor, did not seem especially polite.

"I was just-" Jet began scowling, but he was quickly interrupted.

"_Shhh, SHH_- OMMM…" Cracking an eye open the primate feigned faux surprise. "You're still here?" Scoffing it slammed its eyes shut once more, "Go a-_way_."

Stifling a growl Jet slammed one of his hook swords through the knee deep pool before quickly choosing an alternate direction. This was becoming_infuriating, _so he thought, but he smugly noted that he had not _reversed_ his direction- which led to reincarnation.

Although he had never paid much thought to the Spirit Realm, besides the stories from his mother, he had kept a grasp on reincarnation. It was commonly accepted after all, with the Avatar a present player in the world.

He could effectively confirm that he did not wish to be reincarnated. Not at present.

With the Avatar and his friends… and _Katara_ working towards ending the war- it would happen in, Jet estimated, a few years. If he were to be reincarnated, he would remain an infant, a child for this period of time.

He did _not_ want that.

Jet wanted to _see_ the Fire Nation fall; he would not allow himself to be reincarnated, just to be too young to remember the glory.

With that thought in mind he continued walking, although, he had not yet discovered what in fact he wished to accomplish in wake of this decision. Already being dead the idea of coming _back_ to life seemed unlikely. In retrospect, he lacked a plan entirely, but that did not prevent his urge to continue.

Lacking a plan it still seemed as though he was accomplishing _something_ by moving forward, although he took a momentary half-step backward as a crane swerved around him.

Taking a glance at his surroundings he noted the large chasm he stood by, his days within the spirit realm causing him to not even spare a glance at the figures moving in the mist, such as the enormous she-wolf flitting across his vision.

He was too preoccupied glancing in the direction of towering, as they would have to be to reach above to the chasm, columns of stone. Eyesight raising he saw that the path led towards another elevated column upon which sat what looked to be a tree, albeit, looking as though life had been squeezed from every inch of branch of twig leaving only a dark husk.

Possessing no plan to guide him elsewhere Jet took a running start and with acrobatics gleamed from years hurdling through tree tops he quickly hopped from column to column, until he sprinted up along the roots to stand below the tree. Seeing the opening, he took a step further and peered down to the descending steps.

After a moment a foot lowered, and somewhere in the deepest caverns of the gnarled tree he heard a clicking. Apprehension being to cling to him his shoulder was suddenly taken hold of.

"Don't."

Spinning, undoubtedly to efficiently and loudly, rebuke any _more_ spirits that had come to bother him he was immediately taken aback at the calm face that peered towards him. She was without question quite beautiful, though he imagined it would be magnified tenfold if emotion had coated her features.

She was currently looking towards him quite blankly.

"_Listen_." He began, shaking off her hand and narrowing a brow. Jet had always had time for pretty girls, but the current state of himself and his nerves were beginning to take a toll. However, before he could continue another rattle sounded from within the trunk.

"Don't show any emotion." The feminine spirit suddenly warned, but was unable to further elaborate as the clicking suddenly magnified and a dark figure burst from the tree roots.

"Yue, _Tui_? So_kind_ to see that you have visited." The vermin-like spirit stated eloquently, a painted white face gazing coolly.

Jet's eyes had at first widened in obvious-shock, and unknown to himself his face would have been plucked away had Yue not suddenly slid before him with the grace of a spirit.

"Tui please, Koh." Yue replied, calmly looking back towards the slithering other.

"Formalities I see…" Koh purred, circling Yue and in turn, Jet. "What brings you here, Tui?"

"Simply passing through Koh." Yue, replied staring evenly at the spirit.

"Ah I see… And_him_?" He suddenly spat, turning towards and his face morphed to that of a shocking visage- primate in nature towards Jet.

Yue's eyes skirted towards the other, before she nodded, Jet examined Koh with utter apathy displayed off his visage.

"Passing through." He replied, wheat bobbing idly as he did so.

"Ah- and I presume that was why you were _peering_ into my domain?"

When Jet did not respond, instead looking coolly at the other Yue spoke up, "Well, Koh, I should be leaving."

"Ah, Tui, _Tui_, stay awhile, _chat_. Kuruk should be by soon- searching for that_wife_ of his." He taunted coolly while circling the two and the Spirit Realm's subdued lighting rolled across his scale-like sides.

Jet's hands gripped his hook swords, although his face still attempted to remain stoic and emotionless. Yue, seeing the action extended a hand to once more rest upon his shoulder. "Goodbye Koh." Applying light pressure she flitted beside Jet away from the tree's opening.

Suddenly spiraling around them Koh's face lined up against Yue's, suddenly displaying the primate qualities it screeched deafeningly into her countenance.

"Step aside Koh." Yue stated calmly, as emotionless as before.

"…As you wish, Tui." Slinking away the bug-like body dived once more into its domain, and it was silent.

Watching Koh's body dive away, Yue did not engage in expression, instead turning to face across the chasm. "Let us move farther away."

Nodding without sparing a glance back Jet bounded across the series of columns, coming to a rest at the other side, it was then he noticed that the other, Yue, didn't appear to have the need to walk. Instead having glided across smoothly.

Usually, while living Jet would have smirked and complimented charismatically, to the beautiful spirit in front of him, but death and the alst months of his life were showing its effects. "So you're- _Tui_?" He asked, connecting it with the name of the moon gleamed from younger days.

"Yue," The spirit you replied smiling, and continuing to glide in a direction away from Koh's domain, before touching down elegantly. "And you…?"

"Jet."

"Ah, and what brings you…" Continuing to walk she gestured idly backwards, in the direction of Koh's abode.

"Passing through." He replied, truthfully, although the final destination had not yet been finalized.

"I see; if you are lost- I can guide you back. It is-"

"I don't plan on being reincarnated." Jet interrupted, although did not bother to go into the lengthy reasoning why he refused it.

And Yue did not ask for it, instead she continued to walk further, even while doing so she still seemed as though she was gliding ethereally. "I see." She paused apparently in thought. "Then where are you…"

"No where." He replied, wheat stalk bobbing as he spoke, and Yue eyed him for a moment.

"In that case, Jet, would you like to come with me?" Yue smiled warmly, and extended a hand.

Looking honestly surprised for a long moment Jet looked away, tooth running along the stalk protruding from his lip. Looking back towards Yue he appeared as though he was about to reply in the negative.

Yue offered another smile, and as her hair seemed to continually swirl around her cheeks, and her eyes gleamed cool as the clear sky which Jet remembered from life he placed his hand within her own and replied, "Alright, Yue."


End file.
